Message of 10-2-17

Published: Mon, 10/02/17

A Daily Spiritual Seed
Monday: October 2, 2017
Message of the Day
“For a Christian the divine cannot be reduced to the exploration of one’s own inner life or the acquisition of cosmic ‘powers’. The divine has nothing to do with scientism, however spiritualistically inclined. It is Someone who comes to us in the sovereign freedom of love. . . .We can only prepare ourselves to receive it, making ourselves attentive to the possibility of a meeting.”
- Olivier Clement, The Roots of Christian Mysticism

(Let your prayer be an attentiveness to "the possibility of a meeting with God," knowing that grace can break through whatever disorder we have within.)
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Readings of the Day
ZEC 8:1-8;   PS 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 AND 22-23

MT 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

USCCB lectionary
Reflection on the Scripture
"The city shall be filled...They shall be My people." —Zechariah 8:5, 8

Jesus attracted people. He was mobbed by crowds. People even pushed and stepped on each other to get closer to Jesus (Lk 12:1). Jesus attracted people of all kinds — Jews, Gentiles, rich, poor, young, old, Pharisees, priests, tax-collectors, prostitutes, etc. Jesus fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy concerning an evangelistic power with universal, catholic appeal (Zec 8:23).

We who have been baptized into Christ are like Christ when we attract people of all kinds to Christ. We are evangelistic and catholic. We make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). We do this by living our Baptisms. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live our Baptisms. By letting the Holy Spirit run our lives, we have a new Pentecost in which people "of every nation under heaven" come to be baptized into Jesus (Acts 2:5). When we live our Baptisms by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is recognized as lifted up, and He draws all people to Himself (Jn 12:32).
 
Prayer: Father, let me fully benefit from my guardian angel's efforts to help me live my Baptism.

Promise: "Whoever makes himself lowly, becoming like this child, is of greatest importance in that heavenly reign." —Mt 18:4

Presentation Ministries
Amazon Gift Cards: Good for any occasion.
Spiritual Reading
Theological Gems from Emile Merch's Theology of the Mystical Body
- selected by Jim and Tyra Arraj

Book V: In Christ
 
Chapter 19: Sanctifying Grace
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594. Grace is a gift presented to rational creatures with a view to their eternal life.
 
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